PFC Chapter 179 It turns out that the Nujiang Gang was actually backed by Xu Longxiang from the Northern
Chapter 179 It turns out that the Nujiang Gang was actually backed by Xu Longxiang from the Northern
The fleshy parts of Hu Zhenshan's face twitched violently.
His previous rage, ferocity, and arrogance had long since vanished.
All that remained was boundless fear and a dazed, worldview-crushing state.
Lu Gongfeng... just died like that?
His greatest reliance, one of the reasons why the Nujiang Gang could run rampant in this area, is gone just like that.
How could this young man, who looked like a rich young master, be reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye?
Qin Mu slowly turned around.
His gaze calmly fell on Hu Zhenshan's pale face, which was filled with fear.
His eyes were indifferent.
There was no murderous intent, no anger, and not even any emotional fluctuation.
It's like looking at a lifeless object.
But this calm gaze terrified Hu Zhenshan more than any sharp stare.
It was as if all my secrets and thoughts were laid bare under that gaze.
"Now," Qin Mu said.
His voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of casual conversation.
Yet it clearly pierced through the river breeze and the deathly silence, reaching into everyone's ears.
"We can talk properly now."
He paused, then slowly walked forward.
Hu Zhenshan instinctively wanted to back away.
His legs felt like they were filled with lead, or as if they were nailed to the spot by an invisible force, unable to move.
They could only watch helplessly as the moon-white robe drew ever closer.
"You just said," Qin Mu stopped in front of Hu Zhenshan.
He leaned slightly closer.
The voice was lowered, but carried an undeniable air of inquiry.
"Your Nujiang Gang has connections within the imperial court? Your background is incredibly powerful?"
Hu Zhenshan shuddered, jolting awake from his extreme fear!
Yes! The imperial court! Background!
This is the only lifeline he can grasp right now!
No matter how powerful this person is, would he dare to oppose the imperial officials or those deeply entrenched forces?
"Yes...yes!"
Hu Zhenshan seemed to have grasped the last piece of driftwood.
His voice was hoarse and broken, tinged with sobs and an eagerness to claim credit.
"My lord! My young master! Please listen to me!"
"Our Nujiang Gang does indeed...does indeed have powerful backers! It's not an exaggeration!"
He swallowed hard and spoke rapidly.
It was as if speaking too slowly would immediately lead to following in Lü Wuming's footsteps.
"It's...it's the North!"
"Shen Zhong, Lord Shen, the grain and fodder transport commissioner under the Northern Border Pacification General!"
"Lord Shen and our gang leader... no, he and I have a life-or-death bond!"
"Much of the official grain transport and military supplies escort along the Nu River was done through our Nu River Gang's fleet!"
"Lord Shen has been very kind to our gang...and to me!"
"In the imperial court, Lord Shen knows quite a few superiors!"
As he spoke, he secretly observed Qin Mu's expression.
When the other party heard the words "Northern Border," "General Who Pacifies Distant Lands," and "Commissioner of Grain Transport," his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
A glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in my heart.
He quickly added, his tone even carrying a hint of threat.
"Young Master! Lord Shen is a favorite of General Xu in the Northern Border!"
"General Xu, you know him, right? The heir of the Prince of Zhenbei, the Little Northern King who commands 300,000 iron cavalry!"
"You...you are highly skilled in martial arts, but I advise you to think twice!"
"Offending the Northern military over such a trivial matter is not worth it!"
"If you'll show leniency today, I, Hu Zhenshan, swear to God, this matter will be dropped and never be mentioned again!"
"From now on, the Nujiang Gang will follow your lead!"
"You get the lion's share of the profits from this ferry crossing!"
Hu Zhenshan thought he had thrown out a sufficiently heavy bargaining chip.
They had powerful court officials, a strong backer like the northern military, and were promised substantial benefits.
Ordinary martial arts masters or even local tyrants would have weighed the pros and cons and compromised upon hearing this.
However, after listening, Qin Mu showed no fear, hesitation, or greed as he had expected.
Instead, the half-smile that had been lingering at the corner of his mouth deepened.
A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.
It was as if I had heard something extremely interesting.
"The Northern Frontier? Under the command of the General Who Pacifies the Distant Lands? The Grain Transport Commissioner? Shen Zhong?"
Qin Mu repeated these words softly.
It's as if you want to break them apart and crush them to taste the flavor inside.
Just then, Yun Luan, who had been standing quietly behind Qin Mu like a shadow, took half a step forward without making a sound.
She had already sheathed her sword.
The dark blue outfit was stained with some blood and dust.
But his posture remained upright, and his face was stern.
She tilted her head slightly and whispered in Qin Mu's ear.
Report in a low but clear voice, at a volume that only two people can hear.
"Your Majesty, General Fuyuan is the commander of one of the four main corps of the Northern Border Army."
"They were stationed in Fuyuan City, about 300 li away from here, and were responsible for the defense of the eastern front."
"Shen Zhong, the Grain Transport Commissioner, is a fifth-rank military officer."
"Specializing in the land and water transport, storage and dispatch of provisions and supplies for the army on the eastern route of the northern border."
"This man's official reputation is...ordinary, with no outstanding military achievements."
"But to be able to hold such a crucial and lucrative post in the North for so many years."
"It is said that they have a close relationship with the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion."
"It is very likely that he is a trusted confidant secretly cultivated and placed in a key position by the Xu family."
Yunluan's voice was calm and professional.
In an instant, the vague "backer" mentioned by Hu Zhenshan was concretized into a clear official position, a key responsibility, and the factional network that might be hidden behind it.
The look of amusement in Qin Mu's eyes deepened.
He slowly straightened up.
Their gazes turned once more to Hu Zhenshan, who was trembling but whose eyes had regained hope.
Hu Zhenshan thought that Yunluan's whispers were advising Qin Mu.
Qin Mu's gaze seemed to pierce through him once again.
I looked up at the deep, dark night to the north.
They looked toward the northern border.
He looked at Xu Longxiang.
"interesting……"
Qin Mu muttered to himself.
His voice carried the excitement of discovering unexpected prey.
"I really didn't expect that."
He had only decided to wait here for Empress Liyang on a whim.
Taking care of a local tyrant and ridding the people of a menace is a way to pass the time.
But to my utter surprise...
Beneath the filth of the Nujiang Gang, a hidden thread leading to the Northern Military and the Xu family's power network has been unearthed.
A gang that controls an important ferry crossing on the Nu River and whose influence extends to several prefectures.
A transport commissioner who controlled the vital supply lines for the army on the eastern route of the northern border.
The two had a "life-or-death friendship".
And this ferry crossing controls the vital waterway connecting the eastern part of the Qin Dynasty with the heart of the Central Plains.
These fragments were rapidly pieced together, combined, and deduced in Qin Mu's mind.
Grain and fodder transfer... ferry crossing control... the lifeline of water transport...
What does Xu Longxiang need most if he wants to accomplish great things?
Besides troops, money, and provisions, it was a secret channel for intelligence transmission, personnel exchanges, and the transportation of key materials!
What could be more ideal than a vital ferry crossing that is secretly controlled by its own people and seems to have nothing to do with it?
The Nujiang ferry crossing is strategically located and a melting pot of all sorts of people, with countless boats passing through daily.
It is an ideal place to conceal one's movements and transport people and goods.
And a seemingly insignificant but actually trusted confidant of the Xu family, the grain transport commissioner.
They abused their power to slightly confuse official canal transport with gang-related smuggling.
Then you can accomplish too many things without anyone noticing.
This is far from a simple case of collusion between officials and bandits to oppress the people.
This was clearly a hidden move by Xu Longxiang.
A vital supply and intelligence line hidden beneath the surface!
Even Hu Zhenshan himself probably doesn't fully understand the enormous scheme behind his "path to wealth."
"It seems," Qin Mu's smile grew colder and deeper.
"On a whim this time, I caught an unexpected big fish."
He stopped looking at Hu Zhenshan.
Instead, he gave instructions to Yunluan.
"Take him away and interrogate him carefully."
"All the leaders and key members of the Nujiang Gang were brought under control without exception."
"We need to thoroughly investigate all their ship traffic records, cargo manifests, and financial accounts over the years."
"Especially everything related to the North, everything related to that heavy burden."
"From this moment on, this ferry crossing will be temporarily taken over by the Dragon Shadow Guard."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Yun Luan bowed and accepted the order, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
She understood that this was no longer a simple matter of punishing a bully.
Rather, it is a key breakthrough in the major case of treason in the North.
Qin Mu glanced again at Hu Zhenshan, who was slumped on the ground, his face ashen.
Hu Zhenshan didn't seem to fully understand what had happened.
But they already sensed impending doom.
Qin Mu shook his head, his tone indifferent.
"As for you..."
"Didn't you just like throwing people into the river to feed the fish?"
"After you've found out the truth, go down there yourself and ask the fish in the Nu River what they taste like."
After saying that, he ignored Hu Zhenshan's desperate wails and pleas for mercy behind him, which sounded like a pig being slaughtered.
He turned around, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the raging Nujiang River.
The moonlight shone on his moon-white robe, outlining his tall and straight back.
The river breeze rustled his clothes and his long, ink-black hair.
It felt as if I was melting into the vast night and the roaring river.
Xiao Yu stared blankly at his retreating figure.
Then look at Hu Zhenshan, who was being dragged away by Yunluan like a dead dog.
Then look around at the men in black who appeared quickly, moved nimbly and silently, and began to clean up the scene and take control of the situation.
Those are the Dragon Shadow Guards.
My mind is a complete mess.
Young Master... Your Majesty?
He...could he be...?
The county magistrate's legs buckled, and he knelt down on the ground.
His forehead touched the ground, his whole body trembled like a leaf, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He only realized this belatedly.
What kind of being had I just faced!
It can instantly annihilate even a master at the Finger Profound Realm.
To command so many terrifyingly powerful experts...
Who else in the world can compare?
Qin Mu seemed oblivious to the commotion behind him.
His gaze seemed to extend beyond the Nu River.
It was cast towards the more distant East.
That was the direction from which Empress Li Yang's convoy was about to arrive.
Xu Longxiang... I really underestimated you.
The cloth is so deep.
Even this seemingly insignificant ferry crossing, far from the North, has become a hidden piece on your chessboard.
However, this is for the best.
The more complex the game, the more patient the opponent becomes.
The more you uncover the mystery, the more exhilarating it becomes.
The roar of the Nu River seemed to become a background melody.
A cold yet excited light gleamed in Qin Mu's eyes.
That's the anticipation of the prey.
It is also a rehearsal for the coming, even bigger storm.
"Xu Longxiang, I have found the starting point of your net."
"Next, let me see just how big this net of yours can be, and... how many times it can withstand my tugs?"